Tuesday, March 31, 2020

ARC Review: The Body in the Garden by Katharine Schellman

The Body in the Garden
Author: Katharine Schellman
Series: A Lily Adler Mystery
Publication: Crooked Lane Books (April 7, 2020)

Description: London 1815.  Though newly-widowed Lily Adler is returning to a society that frowns on independent women, she is determined to create a meaningful life for herself even without a husband. She's no stranger to the glittering world of London's upper crust. At a ball thrown by her oldest friend, Lady Walter, she expects the scandal, gossip, and secrets. What she doesn't expect is the dead body in Lady Walter's garden.

Lily overheard the man just minutes before he was shot: young, desperate, and attempting blackmail. But she's willing to leave the matter to the local constables--until Lord Walter bribes the investigating magistrate to drop the case. Stunned and confused, Lily realizes she's the only one with the key to catching the killer.

Aided by a roguish navy captain and a mysterious heiress from the West Indies, Lily sets out to discover whether her friend's husband is mixed up in blackmail and murder. The unlikely team tries to conceal their investigation behind the whirl of London's social season, but the dead man knew secrets about people with power. Secrets that they would kill to keep hidden. Now, Lily will have to uncover the truth, before she becomes the murderer's next target.

My Thoughts: Lily Adler is a young widow who has returned to London to try to decided what to do with her life now that the plans she and her husband made have been derailed by his death. She is deeply grieving the loss of the man she loved.

When her best friend encourages her to take up the social reel again, she doesn't expect to overhear an argument and a gunshot and find herself in the middle of a mystery. When her friend's powerful husband pays off the Bow Street Runners to make the potential scandal go away, Lily feels that it is up to her to solve the crime.

Lily is assisted in her endeavors by Navy Captain Jack Hartley and West India heiress Ofelia Oswald. Jack is a childhood friend of Lily's husband who was away when he died. Miss Oswald is connected to the body found in the garden and is a bright young woman sent to England to find a husband.

After some misunderstandings with Jack who assumes Lily is a typical society lightweight, he becomes a good friend to her. His initial suspicions about Miss Oswald who is definitely keeping secrets adds some additional tension to the story.

In fact, there is a lot of tension as the murderer definitely doesn't appreciate Lily's investigation into the murder of the young man. There are two additional murders and a couple of attempts on Lily's life before the story comes to a satisfying conclusion.

I enjoyed the story very much and liked the depths of the characters and the Regency setting.

Favorite Quote:
He laughed abruptly. "You know, I've not known anyone quite like you before."

Lily was torn between amusement and annoyance. "I hear that with some frequency. I choose to take it as a compliment, though I suspect it is only intended that way about half the time. You were saying, Captain?"
I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.

Monday, March 30, 2020

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (March 30, 2020)

It's Monday, What Are You Reading? is now hosted by Kathryn at The Book Date.

It’s Monday!  What Are You Reading is where we gather to share what we have read this past week and what we plan to read this week.  It is a great way to network with other bloggers, see some wonderful blogs, and put new titles on your reading list.

I will be combining my YA and adult reading and purchases on this one weekly roundup.

Other Than Reading...

It has been another quiet week. I think I left the house twice. Both times were for quick trips to the grocery store. I am not taking advantage of the shopping hours set aside for seniors though since I have no wish to shop at 6 AM. My brother is considering taking Target up on the 30 days of paid leave he can get because of his age and health. He called his doctor's office but they really didn't give him any helpful advice as to whether or not he needs to get away from potential exposure. I'm trying not to put pressure on him to stay home if it isn't essential. I know he wants to keep working.

Since the governor of our state issued a "stay home" order beginning at midnight last night and lasting until April 10 and told more businesses to close, I am hoping that it will be less busy at Target anyway. Schools and bars and restaurants are now set to be closed until the beginning of May. I know the district I retired from is beginning distance learning tomorrow for all grades. I know also that this has been an immense planning task especially for the Elementary Staff.

I'm keeping busy with more baking and cooking. We had homemade pizza last night. I made the crust, sauce, and together my brother and I made the Italian sausage we put on it. We also made some of my dad's recipe for Polish sausage which is in the freezer firming up right now. Once frozen, they'll be wrapped and stored in air-tight bags for future use. We added more fat to the sausage this time since the last batches were too dry for our tastes. It adds more saturated fat but still less than commercial sausages do and I know we cut the salt content a lot.

We got our power bill for last month after a month of more sunshine and were pleased to find that our bill was $0 and we had a $15 credit to carry over for future months. I also got my hefty Federal tax refund which reflects a rebate on my half of the costs of the solar project. It is still going to take quite a few years (maybe 5 or so) before we recover the whole cost of the project. In the meantime, we have very low power bills to look forward to.

Read Last Week

If you can't wait until the review shows up on my blog, reviews are posted to LibraryThing and Goodreads as soon as I write them (usually right after I finish reading a book.)

  • Smoke Bitten by Patricia Briggs (mine) - Newest in the Mercy Thompson series is filled with all the action and adventure this series is known for. My review is linked below.
  • Local Custom by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller - audiobook re-read. My review will be posted on April 8.
  • The Glass Magician by Caroline Stevermer (Review; April 7) - Interesting historical fantasy set in New York City in 1915. My review is linked below.


  • A Bad Day for Sunshine by Darynda Jones (Review; April 7) - First in a new mystery series that was a great combination of humor and thriller. I enjoyed the characters and their byplay. My review will be posted on April 1.
  • The Body in the Garden by Katharine Schellman (Review; April 7) - First in a new historical mystery series set in London in 1815. I liked the characters and the mystery was nicely twisty too. My review will be posted on March 31.
  • Hid from Our Eyes by Julia Spencer-Fleming (Review; April 7) - Long awaited addition to a contemporary mystery series. Intriguing mystery and very stressed main characters. My review will be posted on April 2.

Currently

  • Balance of Trade by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller (Mine) - I'm listening to this audiobook of one of the Liaden Universe books that I haven't read many times. It is outside the time period of the bulk of the books in the series. 

Next Week

I have two review books and then will be looking for anything that catches my attention. I am trying something new and not filling up my calendar with potential reads a month in advance.


Reviews Posted

  • Plan B by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller
  • I Dare by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller



Want to See What I Added to My Stack Last Week?

Bought:


Review:




What was your week like?

Sunday, March 29, 2020

State of the Stack #94 (March 29, 2020)

This is my monthly State of the Stack post. It is my way to keep track of my review books and to hopefully reduce the stack that I have waiting for me. I take a look at my review commitments on or near the first of the month. Link with Avalinah's Books (description below) to check out other people's progress.

Here is my Review Books Spreadsheet I list them in publication order and sort them by month. I can quickly see how many books I have for each date. Ideally, this keeps me from over-committing to review books. Check my spreadsheet to find out where I got each book.

I also do this post because sometimes (frequently) review books sit on my stack for a while before I read and review them. I try to read and review books within two weeks of publication date. Sometimes I can't, though, if too many books are releasing on the same date or if the book arrives too near its publication date and my calendar is already full.

I am very grateful to the authors and publishers who support my reading habit.

I Read This Month

These are listed in the order I read them. Links go to my reviews for all that have been posted already. Otherwise, the date the review is scheduled for is listed.
  1. A Murderous Relation by Deanna Raybourn (March 5)
  2. Revolver Road by Christi Daugherty (March 4)
  3. The Queen's Bargain by Anne Bishop (March 7)
  4. Cross Her Heart by Melinda Leigh (March 11)
  5. The Glass Magician by Caroline Stevermer (March 28)
  6. The Body in the Garden by Katharine Schellman (March 31)
  7. A Bad Day for Sunshine by Darynda Jones (April 1)
  8. Hid from Our Eyes by Julia Spencer-Fleming (April 2)
Read Previously, Reviews Posted This Month
  1. A Death in Chelsea by Lynn Brittney (March 3)
I Added These Books

These are listed in the order I received them. Links go to Amazon. Date published is listed in parentheses.
  1. The Queen's Bargain by Anne Bishop (March 10)
  2. Murder in the Bayou Boneyard by Ellen Byron (Sept. 8)
  3. To Catch an Earl by Kate Bateman (June 30)
  4. Race the Sands by Sarah Beth Durst (April 21)
  5. American Demon by Kim Harrison (June 16)
  6. Outsider by Linda Castillo (July 7)
  7. Cold to the Bone by Emery Hayes (August 11)
  8. Little Falls by Elizabeth Lewes (August 11)
  9. Shadow Ridge by M. E. Browning (Oct. 6)
  10. Deception by Gaslight by Kate Belli (Oct.6)
  11. Murder at Hotel 1911 by Audrey Keown (August 11)
My Review Pile

April


May




June




July




August




September 


October


*********

I am also linking up with the State of the ARC meme. Here is the explanation and rules.

State of the ARC is a monthly meme at Avalinah’s Books meant to motivate you to finish up all your long overdue ARCs (Advanced or Early Reader Copies). You can track your reading progress and link up with your own post. Most commonly it comes out on the 30th of every month.

Rules of State of the ARC:

  • Mention that you’re linking up with State of the ARC @ AvalinahsBooks, which is a fun way to share our ARC progress, challenges, wins, woes and mishaps.
  • Include the link to this post, or the current State of the ARC post. You can use my State of the ARC image too.
  • Don’t forget to visit all the other people in the link-up and comment.
  • And most importantly – have fun!

Saturday, March 28, 2020

ARC Review: The Glass Magician by Caroline Stevermer

The Glass Magician
Author: Caroline Stevermer
Publication: Tor Books (April 7, 2020)

Description: Reminiscent of The Golem and the JinniThe Glass Magician by Caroline Stevermer is a magical and romantic tale set in New York’s Gilded Age.

New York 1905―The Vanderbilts. The Astors. The Morgans. They are the cream of society―and they own the nation on the cusp of a new century.

Thalia Cutler doesn’t have any of those family connections. What she does know is stage magic and she dazzles audiences with an act that takes your breath away.

That is, until one night when a trick goes horribly awry. In surviving she discovers that she can shapeshift, and has the potential to take her place among the rich and powerful.

But first, she’ll have to learn to control that power…before the real monsters descend to feast.

My Thoughts: I enjoyed this historical fantasy set in New York City in 1905. Thalia Cutler is a stage magician who travels the vaudeville circuit with her manager and friend David Nutall. They are Solitaires - ordinary humans. When a trick goes wrong in her show and something extraordinary happens, she begins to search for answers about her past.

David Nutall was her father's best friend but even he doesn't know much about her father's past and about the mother who died when Thalia was three. Research seems to indicate that Thalia might be a Trader - a person who can trade one form for another.

Their circuit takes them to New York City where Thalia decides to perform a new trick. Unfortunately, another magician named Von Faber also does the same trick and has somehow gotten a contract the provides him with exclusivity on the trick. Thalia is fired and wondering what she will do next. She is offered a job by Trader Nathaniel Ryker who is one of the very rich Traders who live in New York. He wants Thalia to convince his sister Nell that a life as a stage magician is not as desirable as she thinks.

Meanwhile, Thalia and Nutall go to see a performance by Von Faber to try to see if he has stolen her trick and watch as the trick goes wrong leaving Von Faber dead on the stage. The police are certain that Nutall is the killer since he had been arguing with Von Faber the night before. Thalia is equally certain that he in not guilty.

Thalia  is attacked by a maniticore who attacks and steals the magic of young Traders who can't yet control their trades. She also meets Tycho Aristides who is the Skinner of New York. His job is to kill manticores and he is very good at it.

Thalia is taken in by the Rykers until she learns to control her trades which makes it difficult for her to find out who actually killed Von Faber. Her mentor Nutall has taken refuge in the Sylvestri embassy because he is apparently a member of that reclusive race - a fact that Thalia did not know. She is determined to clear his name and rescue him from that imprisonment.

I liked the magical system and world building of the story. I liked Thalia resilience as she has to rearrange everything she believed about herself. I liked her determination to help her friend Nutall.

The story leaves lots of room for sequels as their are many questions left unanswered. Thalia has questions about her parents that need answers. I hope more will be written in this world.

Favorite Quote:
This was the real magic. Traders might Trade. Sylvestri might work wonders with a forest. But no one but a stage magician could show people what it looks like to violate the laws of physics.
I received this one in exchange for an honest review from Edelweiss. You can buy your copy here.

Friday, March 27, 2020

Friday Memes: The Glass Magician by Caroline Stevermer

Happy Friday everybody!
Book Beginnings on Friday is now hosted by Rose City ReaderThe Friday 56 is hosted at Freda's Voice. Check out the links above for the rules and for the posts of the participants each week. Don’t dig for your favorite book, the coolest, the most intellectual. Use the CLOSEST.

Beginning:
Thalia Cutler, the stage magician known as the Lady of the Lake, stepped nimbly aside to avoid the singer coming offstage at Keith's Vaudeville Theater in Philadelphia.
Friday 56:
"Sylvia means that somebody buggered up the gun so both the fake charge in the gun barrel and the tricky bit beneath it fired at the same time." 
This week I am spotlighting The Glass Magician by Caroline Stevermer. I have read earlier books by this author and was excited to see the eARC available on Edelweiss. Here is the description from Amazon:
Reminiscent of The Golem and the JinniThe Glass Magician by Caroline Stevermer is a magical and romantic tale set in New York’s Gilded Age.

New York 1905―The Vanderbilts. The Astors. The Morgans. They are the cream of society―and they own the nation on the cusp of a new century.
Thalia Cutler doesn’t have any of those family connections. What she does know is stage magic and she dazzles audiences with an act that takes your breath away.

That is, until one night when a trick goes horribly awry. In surviving she discovers that she can shapeshift, and has the potential to take her place among the rich and powerful.

But first, she’ll have to learn to control that power…before the real monsters descend to feast.

Thursday, March 26, 2020

Audiobook: I Dare by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller

I Dare
Author: Sharon Lee and Steve Miller
Narrator: Andy Caploe
Publication: Audible, Sept. 4, 2012
Length: 20 hours and 51 minutes

Description: The dynamic conclusion to the Agent of Change series in Lee and Miller's Liaden Universe!

Val Con yos'Phelium: a Scout, former Agent of Change, husband, brother to Turtles, and designated heir to Clan Korval's fortune and mission... Whether you considered him respectable or not, no one would call him a gambling man. When he reappears demanding Balance and retribution, he looks exactly like the kind of leader his clan has been producing for generations. On his capable shoulders the fate of his Clan, his world, and his civilization....

Pat Rin yos'Phelium: fond father, bon vivant, ne'er-do-well... and a professional gambler. The enemies of Korval have offered Pat Rin the Ring that would make all of Korval's holdings his own and a Juntavas Judge has offered Pat Rin a world....

When he appears with hired guns in tow, no one is expecting him and no one knows what he'll do. Pat Rin is a gambling man, and on his wild-card shoulders the fate of his Clan, his world, his civilization....

This long-awaited culmination of the Agent of Change sequence of Sharon Lee and Steve Miller's internationally acclaimed Liaden Universe novels pits unexpected friends and unexpected enemies against each other in a war that spans planets and races - and threatens to bring interstellar violence to the very surface of fabled Liad.

My Thoughts: This was a huge story at almost 21 hours of listening. It gathers together the plot threads from the four earlier books in the same time period and is told from a number of viewpoints and locations.

Pat Rin, believing that the rest of his clan is dead, has gone to ground on Surebleak with his pilot Cheever McFatland and Juntavas Judge Natessa the Assassin to forge his balance for the Department of the Interior. A lot of the action takes place on Surebleak where, first, Pat Rin has to become a Boss and consolidate power. Second, he decides that he has to do more than that and become the sort of leader who is good for all the people who live on Surebleak.

Val Con and Miri are still on Lytaxin and both are in need of Clutch healing. Joining them on Lytaxin are Shan and Nova yos'Galan. Nova bringing word of the existence of Plan B and the work of their enemies on Liad.

Daav yos'Phelium also rendezvouses with the Clan on Lytaxin after years of his absence while crafting his own balance for the loss of his lifemate on a variety of Terran worlds.

Anthora has been left on Liad to help keep Korval's presence there and to protect the tree that Korval serves. The Department of the Interior is very interested in capturing her as she is the only one of Korval who looks like an easy target. However, the Department underestimates the skills of the most powerful dramliza currently alive. And Anthora has the help of Ren Zel who is the First Mate on the Dutiful Passage and a dramliza of frightening powers himself.

The story culminates with a battle to destroy the Department on Liad which results in bombing a large hole in the center of Solcintra and exile for Clan Korval from Liad. Luckily, Daav had been sent on a mission to the Clutch turtles who think removing a mile high tree, a house, and various other belongings of Clan Korval is something well within their capacities.

Just as they are getting ready to leave Liad with their belongings in tow and take up their new residence on Surebleak, Daav's daughter Theo shows up with a problem that is "kind of complicated" and the story ends.

Rereading as I am doing now, I know what happens next. But I can still clearly recall the effect that ending had on me when I first read it in 2002. So many questions... So much frustration... It would be eight or nine years before the story would continue.

Again the narration was excellent both for developing unique voices for the characters and for suiting the mood of the various parts of the story. I didn't like Pat Rin's voice because I thought it was awfully nasal and had a bit of a lisp but it was unique to him and totally recognizable.

I bought this one. You can buy your copy here.

Wednesday, March 25, 2020

Audiobook Review: Plan B by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller

Plan B
Author: Sharon Lee and Steve Miller
Narrator: Andy Caploe
Publication: Audible, Sept. 4, 2012
Length: 14 hours and 2 minutes

Description: Pursued across space by the ultra-secret Department of the Interior, hunted by the galaxy-wide Juntavas syndicate, former Agent of Change Val Con yos'Phelium and his ex-soldier lifemate Miri Robertson have commandeered the only spaceship on Vandar and fled, seeking help from Miri's newly discovered kin on Lytaxin. Elsewhere, Clan Korval is in action. Scattered across space by the newly invoked Plan B, certain clan members pursue the search for the long-missing Val Con

First Speaker Nova yos'Galan returns to Lufkit, seeking clues, as Dutiful Passage, Korval's premier tradeship, arms itself for war - and discovers treachery. Back on Lytaxin, Miri's homecoming is interrupted by a full-scale Yxtrang planetary invasion. Then things start to get really interesting....

My Thoughts: This story was published after a ten year gap during which clamor for more stories in the Liaden Universe was rampant on the newly burgeoning internet. It weaves together stories about a number of the characters introduced in the first three Liaden Universe books.

Val Con and Miri have stolen the ship of the agent sent to find Val Con on the interdicted world of Vandar. They are determined to go to Miri's kin on Lytaxin. Unbeknown to herself, Miri is a descendant of the line direct of Clan Erob. Miri is used to thinking of herself as terran and this comes as a not-very-welcome surprise to her.

They arrive on Lytaxin in the aftermath of a local political uprising and are there for the Yxtrang invasion that follows it.  Miri finds herself involved in the military response to the invasion. Only the remnants of the mercenary forces who fought the uprising are still on planet when the Yxtrang arrive. Luckily, some of the remaining are members of Miri's old unit.

Val Con also discovers that a captured Yxtrang is the same man that he met and talked with years earlier when both were exploring an otherwise unsettled plant. Nelirikk Explorer has had a hard time since. Being captured by the enemy was enough to make him No Troop and a despised hanger-on in his force. He was captured when his troop sent him out on a survey mission with defective goods and no intention to retrieve him. Val Con does manage to convince him to throw in with the new Lytaxin forces and become sworn to Clan Korval. Nelirikk's main job is acting as Aide to Miri.

Meanwhile, Shan and Priscilla have their own problems. With Plan B in force, they must offload cargo and some crew and outfit the Dutiful Passage as a warship. They find that one of the new weapons pods they loaded in has been sabotaged by the Department of the Interior with the intention of destroying the ship. They also need to figure out Val Con's message which tells them to meet him where Miri's people live. When they finally get to Lytaxin, it is in the middle of the Yxtrang invasion and Shan finds himself taking refuge on the planet while Priscilla becomes ship's captain and battles theYxtrang in space.

Nova is also busy searching for Val Con. Her quest takes her to Commander Lizardi who has recently seen Val Con and Miri and then to Fender to hire mercenaries to go to Lytaxin to rescue her brother Val Con and his lifemate Miri. There they meet Suzuki who was Miri's commander before her retirement and who is hiring mercenaries to go to Lytazin and rescue the rest of her mercenaries. The turtles are also on the hunt for Val Con and Miri and follow much the same path as Nova.

The story is filled with action with battles in space and on Lytaxin. This doesn't even count the problems that Anthora is having back on Liad when the Department of the Interior focuses its attention on her.

I liked the narration. Andy Caploe did a good job making all of the various voices distinct and recognizable. His reading was also great at showing the building tension in the story.

I bought this one. You can buy your copy here.

Tuesday, March 24, 2020

Book Review: Smoke Bitten by Patricia Briggs

Smoke Bitten
Author: Patricia Briggs
Series: A Mercy Thompson Novel (Book 12)
Publication: Ace (March 17, 2020)

Description: Mercy Thompson, car mechanic and shapeshifter, faces a threat unlike any other in this thrilling entry in the #1 New York Times bestselling series.

I am Mercedes Athena Thompson Hauptman.

My only “superpowers” are that I turn into a thirty-five pound coyote and fix Volkswagens. But I have friends in odd places and a pack of werewolves at my back. It looks like I'm going to need them.

Centuries ago, the fae dwelt in Underhill—until she locked her doors against them. They left behind their great castles and troves of magical artifacts. They abandoned their prisoners and their pets. Without the fae to mind them, those creatures who remained behind roamed freely through Underhill wreaking havoc. Only the deadliest survived.

Now one of those prisoners has escaped. It can look like anyone, any creature it chooses. But if it bites you, it controls you. It lives for chaos and destruction. It can make you do anything—even kill the person you love the most. Now it is here, in the Tri-Cities. In my territory.

It won't, can't, remain.

Not if I have anything to say about it.

My Thoughts: This was another excellent addition to the series. Mercy is dealing with a number of problems beginning with her marriage and bond with Adam. Then there is the new door to Underhill that has appeared in their backyard. Add in a werewolf pack that wants to take over their territory and a very dangerous escapee from Underhill and Mercy has trouble coming at her from all sides.

The story was fast-paced and exciting. I liked Mercy's stubbornness and her intelligence as she mines old fairy tales to figure out how to deal with the escapee. I liked how she deals with her marriage troubles. I liked the traces of humor and think that the idea of the "stupid olympics" is going to feature in my vocabulary.

Fans of the series won't want to miss this latest episode.

Favorite Quote:
I liked having the (more or less) innocent bystanders innocently bystanding instead of getting hurt. 
I bought this one. You can buy your copy here.

Monday, March 23, 2020

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (March 23, 2020)

It's Monday, What Are You Reading? is now hosted by Kathryn at The Book Date.

It’s Monday!  What Are You Reading is where we gather to share what we have read this past week and what we plan to read this week.  It is a great way to network with other bloggers, see some wonderful blogs, and put new titles on your reading list.

I will be combining my YA and adult reading and purchases on this one weekly roundup.

Other Than Reading...

Welcome to the Pandemic! There still isn't a confirmed case of Covid-19 in Duluth but that is likely because the labs testing are so backed up. A few hundred tests from the hospitals here are waiting for results. I have isolated myself because my age (69) and health (Crohn's Disease) put me in a higher risk category. My brother is still working at Target for as long as it remains open and is working more than his usual number of hours. Each day, more and more businesses are closing their doors until this whole thing is over. Today, I got an email from my dentist saying that they are closing except for "life threatening" emergencies.  I believe that my appointment for lab work scheduled on Monday has not been cancelled though the idea of going up to the Clinic is freaking me out. There may be sick people there!

I am keeping quite busy listening to the Liaden Universe books on audio. The last one I listened to was almost 21 hours long. I am shifting gears this coming week and reading my April 7 release review books before I listen to the rest of the Liaden Universe books. Unfortunately, I've used up all my cushion of scheduled posts and am feeling some pressure to get these read and scheduled.

While my brother does most of the cooking, I am the official bread baker and baked three times this past week. I made Best Ever White Bread, Sesame Seeded Sandwich Buns, and Italian Bread. Most of the buns were frozen for future use. Tonight's menu is supposed to be Country Fried Steak with mashed potatoes and mushroom gravy but plans may change since my brother was supposed to finish work at 1:30 but was asked to stay until 5:15 instead.

Read Last Week

Reviews are posted to LibraryThing and Goodreads as soon as I write them (usually right after I finish reading a book.)

  • Agent of Change by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller (Audiobook) - My first listen of the first book in the Liaden Universe. My review is linked below.
  • Carpe Diem by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller (Audiobook) - My first listen of a book many times read. I reviewed it with Agent of Change. The link is below.
  • Conflict of Honors by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller (Audiobook) - My first listen of a book many times read. The link is below.


  • Plan B by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller (Audiobook) - This was a first listen but many times read story. My review will be posted on March 25.
  • I Dare by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller (Audiobook) - Again, a first listen but many times read story. My review will be posted on March 26.

Currently


Next Week




Reviews Posted




Want to See What I Added to My Stack Last Week?

Bought:

  • Local Custom by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller (Audiobook)
  • Smoke Bitten by Patricia Briggs (Kindle) 


  • Plan B by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller (Audiobook)
  • I Dare by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller (Audiobook)

Review:


What was your week like?

Saturday, March 21, 2020

Audiobook Review: Conflict of Honors by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller

Conflict of Honors
Author: Sharon Lee and Steve Miller
Narrator: Andy Caploe
Publication: Audible, Sept. 4, 2012
Length: 11 hours and 59 minutes

Description: Sixteen-year-old Priscilla Delacroix was declared legally dead by her mother, High Priestess of the Goddess. Banished to survive on her own, Priscilla has roamed the galaxy for ten years as an outcast—to become a woman of extraordinary skill. . . .

An experienced officer assigned to the Liaden vessel Daxflan, she's been abandoned yet again. Betrayed by her captain and shipmates, she's left to fend for herself on a distant planet. But Priscilla is not alone. Starship captain Shan yos'Galen is about to join Priscilla's crusade for revenge. He has his own score to settle with the enemy. But confronting the sinister crew will be far easier—and safer—than confronting the demons of Priscilla's own mysterious past.

My Thoughts: This story is one of the first written in the Liaden Universe. It was published in 1988. It tells the story of Priscilla Delacroix y Mendoza and Shan yos'Galan.

Priscilla was exiled from her home world of Sintia when she was sixteen. She had been in training to be a priestess of the Goddess and carried the ancient spirit Moonhawk. She was a witch in training and a very powerful one.

Since her exile she had worked a variety of positions on a large number of spacecraft. When the story begins, she is the cargo master on the Liaden ship Daxflan. It is a bad ship. Terrans are treated badly as are the Liaden crew. When she is coshed on the head and left in a deserted warehouse, she finds herself hired by Shan yos'Galan on the Dutiful Passage.

Priscilla wants revenge for her mistreatment on Daxflan and for having her reputation smeared. Shan has his own reasons for wanting balance with the trader on Daxflan. Priscilla finds herself on a well-run ship, captained by an honorable captain, and crewed by a number of people who could become friends.

This is the story where the reader learns a lot about Liaden culture as Priscilla learns it. It is also a romance as Shan and Priscilla fall in love. Beyond the romance, it is an action adventure story about revenge with all sorts of dangerous situations.

The narrator did a good job creating distinct voices for the characters and showing the mood of the story.

I bought this one. You can buy your copy here.